Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibaraki: $1,142 a month against $1,379 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Ibaraki
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Ibaraki Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,142

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ibaraki and in Okinawa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ibaraki and in Okinawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,142 in Ibaraki versus $1,379 in Okinawa.

Ibaraki $1,142
Okinawa $1,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Ibaraki versus $2,171 in Okinawa.

Ibaraki $1,768
Okinawa $2,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,395 in Ibaraki versus $2,964 in Okinawa.

Ibaraki $2,395
Okinawa $2,964

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 17% less than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 16% below, Okinawa is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ¥983

$9.74 ¥1,543

-36.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.03 ¥4,915

$40.63 ¥6,435

-23.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥827

$6.87 ¥1,088

-24.02%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ¥499

$3.91 ¥619

-19.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ¥182

$1.40 ¥222

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$0.93 ¥147

-15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.61 ¥414

1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥494

$6.02 ¥954

-48.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 ¥432

$1.63 ¥258

67.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥248

$2.10 ¥333

-25.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 ¥650

$3.89 ¥617

5.40%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$1.78 ¥282

14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ¥1,637

$18.10 ¥2,867

-42.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ¥1,037

$4.89 ¥775

33.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 ¥2,652

$22.24 ¥3,523

-24.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ¥588

$3.79 ¥600

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥361

$2.59 ¥411

-11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 ¥467

$2.14 ¥339

37.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 ¥659

$5.18 ¥820

-19.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 ¥392

$2.49 ¥394

-0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥412

$2.48 ¥392

4.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥209

$1.26 ¥200

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$0.78 ¥123

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ¥680

$4.03 ¥638

6.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.57 ¥1,040

$6.40 ¥1,013

2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥295

$1.88 ¥297

-1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥329

$3.18 ¥503

-34.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ¥260

$1.50 ¥237

9.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 ¥9,160

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-11.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 ¥753

$3.92 ¥620

21.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥464

$3.47 ¥549

-15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.58 ¥4,051

$11.44 ¥1,812

123.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.05 ¥166

3.81%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.3K ¥3.4M

1.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

2.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$138 ¥21.8K

$162 ¥25.7K

-15.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.35 ¥3,857

$25.31 ¥4,009

-3.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.52 ¥4,991

$53.6 ¥8,492

-41.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ¥8,017

$71.8 ¥11.4K

-29.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.8 ¥9,001

Cinema Ticket

$12.49 ¥1,978

$12.04 ¥1,907

3.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$626 ¥99.2K

$330 ¥52.2K

90.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$5,654 ¥895.5K

173.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.34 ¥4,171

$48.74 ¥7,719

-45.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.99 ¥5,067

$23.34 ¥3,697

37.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 ¥10.7K

$81.3 ¥12.9K

-16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 ¥12.8K

$98.0 ¥15.5K

-17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.8K

$407 ¥64.4K

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 ¥41.9K

$327 ¥51.7K

-19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ¥162.8K

$825 ¥130.7K

24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 ¥83.5K

$667 ¥105.6K

-20.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,712 ¥746.3K

$8,711 ¥1.4M

-45.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,384 ¥377.6K

$1,220 ¥193.3K

95.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,498 ¥395.6K

$1,814 ¥287.3K

37.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.23

-0.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ibaraki: October 31, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ibaraki

$301 26.4%

Okinawa

$330 23.9% 9.6% $29

Accommodation & Living

Ibaraki

$264 23.2%

Okinawa

$327 23.7% 23.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibaraki

$193 17%

Okinawa

$241 17.5% 24.8% $48

Eating Out

Ibaraki

$130 11.4%

Okinawa

$180 13.1% 38.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Ibaraki

$93 8.2%

Okinawa

$113 8.2% 21.5% $20

Getting Around

Ibaraki

$84 7.3%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 10.1% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ibaraki

$76 6.6%

Okinawa

$96 7% 26.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Ibaraki and $407 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Ibaraki vs $41 in Okinawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $330 per month, with Ibaraki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Ibaraki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

287,730

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ibaraki Okinawa 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ibaraki vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,142 in Ibaraki and $1,379 in Okinawa, so Ibaraki is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Ibaraki, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Ibaraki versus $407 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Okinawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $31 versus $41 in Okinawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ibaraki gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ibaraki and Okinawa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.